Community effort to clear fly-tipped waste
THE community in one part of Bridgend pulled together recently to clear up a fly-tipping hotspot.
Residents were joined by councillors, council staff, Keep Wales Tidy, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Asda, and the community council for the effort at Ffald Lane in Pyle.
As an unadopted highway, Bridgend council’s Cleaner Streets team was unable to remove the fly-tipped waste left there.
However, following a series of complaints, education and enforcement officers linked with the Community Safety Partnership and issued a call to action.
Thanks to the efforts of those who attended and a skip donated at a reduced cost from Cox’s Skip and Waste Management, the area was cleared in just a few hours.
Bridgend County Borough Council leader Huw David, deputy leader Jane Gebbie, and Councillors Rhys Watkins and Jason Parry, of Pyle Community Council, all attended the clean-up.
Cllr Watkins, chair of Pyle Community Council, said: “This has been a fantastic initiative, providing a great opportunity to work collaboratively with diverse sectors of our community to combat fly-tipping and enhance our local area.”
Cllr Parry, also a firefighter at Kenfig Hill Fire and Rescue Station in Pyle, added: “The firefighting team were keen to have an active role in clearing Ffald Lane, especially to prevent further fire-related incidents and create a better environment.
“The multi-agency approach was extremely successful – the fire service looks forward to future community projects.”
Brian Jones, Keep Wales Tidy project officer, said: “We all have a part to play in looking after our environment, so it was fantastic to see the community coming together to clean up Ffald Lane.
“I hope this event inspires other residents from across the county borough to become involved in keeping their locality clean – from choosing whether to clean up the street, the local park, favourite beach or beauty spot, every piece of litter removed from the environment matters.”
To deter further fly-tipping and ensure the area remains clear, the Community Safety Partnership has installed a temporary mobile camera to capture a view of the lane.
The camera is one of many mobile cameras deployed across the county borough to address anti-social behaviour.
Cllr David said: “This initiative is a shining example of what can be achieved when we work collectively. Fly-tipping causes such a blight on our landscape and we all need to take responsibility for tackling the issue.
“It was wonderful to see a community approach to clearing Ffald Lane, enabling each and every one of us to realise that we can all make a difference.
“I was particularly grateful to the two young sons of one of the firefighters, Zander and Xavier, for volunteering to help clear the area on their first day of the Easter school holiday – brilliant young role models!
“The aim of having the temporary camera is to deter people from dump
ing waste in the lane, as well as improve feelings of safety in the Ffald Lane area.
“We really hope that clearing the area will generate a greater sense of pride and ownership in local residents, encouraging people to continue to look after their locality.”